Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to/is directed toward adjusting the toe and camber of a wheel connected to a vehicle.
Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B, and FIG. 8C are plan views of example cases of a pair of wheels including a left wheel 30a and a right wheel 30b. The left wheel 30a and the right wheel 30b rotate in planes 40a and 40b, respectively. These planes are substantially perpendicular to a centerline 50 about which the left wheel 30a and the right wheel 30b rotate.
FIG. 8A shows that the planes 40a and 40b eventually intersect aft of the centerline 50, signifying a condition of toe-out.
FIG. 8B shows that the planes 40a and 40b eventually intersect ahead of the centerline 50, signifying a condition of toe-in.
FIG. 8C shows that the planes 40a and 40b are parallel, signifying a condition of zero toe.
FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B, and FIG. 9C are front views of example cases of the pair of wheels including the left wheel 30a and the right wheel 30b described in FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B, and FIG. 8C. The left wheel 30a and the right wheel 30b rotate in the planes 40a and 40b, respectively. These planes are substantially perpendicular to the centerline 50 about which the left wheel 30a and the right wheel 30b rotate.
FIG. 9A shows that the planes 40a and 40b eventually intersect below the centerline 50, signifying a condition of positive camber.
FIG. 9B shows that the planes 40a and 40b eventually intersect above the centerline 50, signifying a condition of negative camber.
FIG. 9C shows that the planes 40a and 40b are parallel, signifying a condition of zero camber.
For a pair of wheels located laterally opposite one another on a vehicle, wheel camber describes a relationship between the planes about which the wheels rotate. When viewed from the front or back, if the planes intersect below the centerlines of the wheels then there is a positive camber condition and the tops of the wheels are further apart than the bottoms of the wheels (FIG. 9A). When viewed from the front or back, if the planes intersect about an axis above the centerlines of the wheels then there is a negative camber condition and the tops of the wheels are closer together than the bottoms of the wheels (FIG. 9B). When viewed from the front or back, if the planes don't intersect then there is zero camber (FIG. 9C).
Similarly, for a pair of wheels located laterally opposite one another on a vehicle, toe describes a relationship between the planes about which the wheels rotate. When viewed from the top, if the planes intersect about an axis behind the centerlines of the wheels then there is a toe-out condition (FIG. 8A) and the leading edges of the wheels are further apart than the trailing edges of the wheels. When viewed from the top or plan view, if the planes intersect about an axis in front of the centerlines of the wheels in the direction of travel then there is a toe-in condition (FIG. 8B) and the leading edges of the wheels are closer together than the trailing edges of the wheels. When viewed from the top, if the planes are parallel then there is zero toe (FIG. 8C).
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of an example vehicle 99 equipped with a suspension suitable for use with an adjustable spindle assembly 1, including the alignment cam 10 of this disclosure.
The continued need to improve upon the prior art in the field of vehicle suspension adjustments has resulted in the introduction of a number of mechanisms and methods to adjust the toe and camber to balance various parameters for different operational and transportation requirements as needed.
The art continues to be developed with the aim of improving capabilities of vehicle suspensions during operation in a variety of conditions and, at the same time, minimizing the time, skills, tools and resources needed to make said adjustments.